


the ‘l’ word

by roguepath



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, No Spoilers, Post-Canon, these two deserve nothing less than happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 00:32:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15401022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roguepath/pseuds/roguepath
Summary: post CH4. a conversation on what  alfyn and therion call the ‘love’ thing.





	the ‘l’ word

**Author's Note:**

> a bit of a low-effort, high-motivation thing i wrote out while traveling in the middle of vacation. and, yeah while i say post-CH4 And no spoilers, it’s more to give you an idea what point of therion’s character development i write him at.

Alfyn and Therion are quick to try and establish boundaries. Honesty is nothing new to them, between Therion’s acerbic wit and his self-admitted lack of tact, but even still. Things change with relationships, as do people. Not to mention, emotional honesty and openness were a different thing, too, but above all else, essential.

Alfyn’s boundaries are what you expect. Simple, loose. Very much like how he tries to be in general; simple inside, with a simple goal: to ease suffering and save those he can.

And, well, he trusts Therion. Back-and-forths, clashes of personalities, are expected with them — why wouldn’t they be, when a push meets a pull, two opposites expected to work as one? — but, he knows. Initially by gut, and now (and always) by repeated instances that Therion will be there for him, for everyone, when the chips are down.

In the case of Therion, well. The jury’s still out on that one.

“There’s not much to say,” he thinks aloud one night, as his fingers are laced in-between Alfyn’s, the apothecary’s arm’s looped around him from behind. “Never had to think much about this ‘love’ thing, y’know.”

...Wait. Hold on.

Did he just — shit did he just—

“Yeah, Alfyn, I know what I said,” Therion continues, and he realizes he muttered that aloud. “I used the ‘L’ word.” He could imagine the small smirk on the bastard’s face right now. “So jail me.”

“Warn a guy next time!” Alfyn squawks, burying his face into the other’s shoulder. “Geez, keep it up an’ I might just take you up on that suggestion.”

“Arrest me officer,” he deadpans, bearing a Therion-brand shit-eating grin.

He promptly chokes back a laugh as he untangles himself and shoves him away. “Gods, _Therion—“_  

When the other returns the favor with a shove back, what ensues is a mess of a tickle-slash-cuddle fight, full to the brim with blind play-fighting — so much so that by the end of it, both are in a tangle of each other, their mirthful exhaustion illuminated only by their sole bedside candle.

Therion’s laughs — his real laughs — are quiet ones, Alfyn notes. They shake his shoulders, and his lips curl upwards in a way that’s so much softer compared to the wild, audacious grins he gives in battle. And his eyes — green for the most part, but fading into a dull gold near the center — are warm with muted joy, lack of lighting be damned.

He tends to be like that more often these days; a fact that Alfyn’s more than grateful for.

Quick to a cutting remark, and prickly at times, sure, Alfyn would give him that — he wouldn’t be Therion without it — but, even still.

While it isn’t in the physical sense, he knows recovery when he sees it.

“Y’know, the, uh— the shock of it aside,” Alfyn begins with a wide, sheepish smile. “‘m happy to hear you say that. The thing ‘bout love.”

“C’mon...” Therion shifts where he lay, turning so that he faces Alfyn. A pause, before: “not like you didn’t know _that_ already.”

“I know, but still. Just makes it feel more ‘real’, I guess.”

He gives a low hum, as he takes Alfyn’s hand in his, quietly running his thumb over his palm. “I don’t mind this, though. Not at all.”

“What d’you mean?”

“Affection. In general, just... As long as it’s just, us,” he admits. “Can’t say I’ve been familiar with it. Really, I thought that... Well. Life could be lead without it.” A pause. “Until... You. And I realized that I wanted it _tons_ more now that I knew the feeling.”

“Hey, works just fine for me. Hell, ‘m happy that it makes you happy,” Alfyn comments, leaning forward so their foreheads bumped.

A sleepy, quiet laugh is given in place of reply, and for a while, it stays that way. Simply enjoying each other’s company, and the time they have.

“...Hey,” Therion says, his voice almost a whisper, a minute later.

“Mm?”

Without another word, he shifts and scooches back to where he was before — fitting right between his arms. “There. Where were we—?”

Alfyn gives a warm, small laugh, promptly looping his arms under his. “Well, _someone_ wanted to spoon, so I reckon we best get back to it. Though, I admit — I thought you’d find it cramped. Or sweaty.”

“Please, you’re like a campfire. A 6’2”, cuddly, blonde campfire,” Therion drawls. “Works out perfectly fine when you’re always as cold as I am.”

Alfyn gives a soft chuckle as his chin brushes against the other’s head. “Y’know, they have a saying for that in the Frostlands, so I hear from Ophilia: ‘cold hands, warm heart.’”

“Really,” Therion laughs. “And what does that make you?”

A beat. Alfyn grins. “A stone cold badass.”

He’s immediately answered with a soft jab of the other’s elbow, only getting more snickers out of him with Therion’s exasperation.

“Dork,” he mumbles, tone warm and endearing.

“Asshole.”

“Bite me,” Therion retorts, to which he receives a peck on his head.

Alfyn chuckles, as he pulls away, to rest his head behind Therion’s neck.

It’s true — neither of them know just _how_ to navigate what they call the ‘love’ thing, but, that’s the thing. It’s not perfect, not clear cut, and certainly not with a correct answer. It’s something they would navigate, learning as they go, and whatever may come, they would face it together.

“G’night, Therion — I love you.”

“Night. ...Love you too.”

And that suits the two of them just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on my [twitter!](https://twitter.com/thiefexp)
> 
> if you enjoyed this, be sure to let me know!


End file.
